Department for Transport

Electric Scooters

lord russell of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish (1) the criteria that they will use to determine whether, and on what basis, they will legalise the use of e-scooters following the current trials, and (2) the specification for the data they have required local authorities to collect in association with those trials, to inform their decisions about whether and how to legalise their use.

lord russell of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment was made of the equalities impacts of their decision to increase the speed, power and weight limits of e-scooters involved in trials, as compared with those originally proposed in their consultation on such trials.

lord russell of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether theywill set lower regulatory limits for the maximum speed, power and weight limits of e-scooters if the current trials suggest that these are too highin relation to their impacts on (1) road safety, (2) environmental outcomes, (3) physical activity levels, or (4) other impacts.

lord russell of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they haveto publish any assessment made of the legal implications of their advice to local authorities planning to hold e-scooter trials thatsuch authorities should convert cycle tracks to cycle lanes in those areas so that e-scooters can be permitted to use them.

baroness vere of norbiton: We have no current plans to publish any criteria. We will use the evidence we gather from rental e-scooter trials, the responses to the Future of Transport regulatory review call for evidence and other research, to consider whether to legalise both rental and privately-owned e-scooters. E-scooters are a new vehicle type; evidence around the benefits and risks of these vehicles is limited and inconclusive. We know there are some risks, and we want to understand these and how to mitigate them. Running on-road trials of rental e-scooters is the best way to assess the safety and wider impacts of this type of vehicle and service. Data will be collected by e-scooter providers. The details of the data to be shared and the process for doing so are still being developed and will be set out in data sharing agreements between the Department and e-scooter providers, and with local authorities where required. We have carried out an equality analysis for e-scooter trials under the Public Sector Equality Duty (s.149 Equalities Act 2010). The combination of speed and power limits constrain how an e-scooter can be used and are intended to ensure the vehicles can be used safely, but we recognise e-scooters are likely to have a particular impact on blind and visually impaired people.To mitigate potentially negative impacts, we have proposed:That e-scooters used in trials must have a horn or bell so that users can make themselves heard to pedestrians.That e-scooters should not be used on the pavement (except in shared cycle/pedestrian space). Local authorities already have powers to prohibit vehicles from specific spaces (included shared spaces) on a case by case basis using Traffic Regulation Orders. We will also work with disability groups in monitoring and evaluating the trials and considering the implications for future policy We increased the speed, power and weight limits of e-scooters after considering the responses to the recent consultation on e-scooter trials. We balanced these views against the equality analysis. The 15.5 mph for trial e-scooters makes the maximum speed for e-scooters the same as e-bikes and is consistent with the maximum speed for e-scooters in many other countries. We increased the weight limit to take account of the heavier batteries of some e-scooters. We expect that most e-scooters used in trials will be well below the 55kg maximum. We increased the power limit to 500W to ensure e-scooters are able to go up steeper inclines and carry heavier users. This was a matter raised with us during the consultation. We have designed the trials so that e-scooters use is limited and controlled. Speed, power and weight limits constrain how an e-scooter can be used and are intended to ensure the vehicles can be used safely. Local areas are free to set limits below the maximum, but it is important that the evidence gathered in trials is representative of how e-scooters may be used in the future. We are preparing a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan to gather evidence from the trials. This will assess the safety risks presented by e-scooters, the mode shift to e-scooters from other forms of transport, public perceptions around their use and identify other impacts that should be considered for any potential future legalisation of e-scooters.It is for local traffic authorities to undertake their own risk assessment of the appropriateness of using the powers available to them to permit e-scooters to share road space with pedal cycles. This assessment will be required on a case by case basis. The Department consulted on the issue of amending the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 to enable e-scooters to share cycle lanes with pedal cycles. The consultation responses supported this approach. The Government made the necessary regulatory changes to include e-scooters within the definition of vehicles permitted to use cycle lanes and to extend signs that apply to pedal cycles to also apply to e-scooters being used in legal trials. This will be supplemented by traffic regulation orders issued by the local areas. As the definition of cycle tracks is contained in primary legislation, the Government has not amended this definition in advance of trials starting. Instead, where deemed necessary, local authorities can re-designate cycle tracks using the TRO process as appropriate.

Travel: Coronavirus

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a UK resident must quarantine when arriving into the UK from Portugal yet departing back to that country on the same day.

baroness vere of norbiton: Coronavirus regulations mean that you must self-isolate for 14 days if you arrive in the UK from a country outside the common travel area. Though the Government is satisfied that it is now safe to ease these measures in England and has introduced travel corridor exemptions for some countries and territories, Portugal is not presently part of the travel corridor exemptions. Therefore, people must self-isolate for 14 days when arriving into the UK from Portugal. However, if they wish to leave the UK within the 14-day period then they are able to do so.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Turkey: River Euphrates

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to discuss with the government of Turkey (1) the reported reduction in the flow of Euphrates river, (2) its impact on northern Syria, (3) how the present situation accords with the 1977 Agreement on Water Sharing, and (4) the current situation with the Allouk Water Station in Heseke Canton, Syria.

baroness sugg: The UK is deeply concerned by the persistent disruption to water supply from Alouk water station to northern Syria and has raised the humanitarian issue of Alouk with all parties in the region. When officials raised with the Government of Turkey on 23 July, including the impact on northern Syria and the current operational situation of the station, they were assured the Government of Turkey was also looking for a solution to these concerns.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Disease Control

baroness hayman: To ask Her Majesty's Government to publish their current assessment of the relative impact of different risk factors including (1) age, (2) gender, (3) ethnicity, and (4) specific health conditions, on the (a) incidence, and (b) increased risk, of serious illness fromCOVID-19for individuals; and what plans they have todevelop an individual risk analysis tool to aid (1) Government, and (2) personal, decision making in relation to the virus. [T]

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Science of COVID-19 which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.



Science of COVID-19 information factsheet
(PDF Document, 151.79 KB)

Coronavirus: Screening

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will resume publishing the number of COVID-19 tests conducted each day.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – a note for the House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.



Testing information factsheet
(PDF Document, 124.76 KB)

Coronavirus: Screening

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people were tested for COVID-19 between 21 and 31 May.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – a note for the House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.



Testing information factsheet
(PDF Document, 124.76 KB)

Public Health: Coronavirus

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the role of local authority Public Health Directors and Departments in the COVID-19 testing, tracing and isolating system in (1) drawing up plans, (2) data sharing of positive cases, and (3) tracing contacts (a) in Lancashire, and (b) generally.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.



Testing information factsheet
(PDF Document, 124.76 KB)

Strokes: Diagnosis

lord lingfield: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the efficacy of the healthcare system in diagnosing silent strokes.

lord lingfield: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made on the commitments to improve stroke rehabilitation set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.

lord bethell: NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to focus on the detection and management of risk factors including high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, atrial fibrillation and diabetes to improve diagnosis of silent strokes.The NHS Long Term Plan highlighted that stroke community rehabilitation as an area with significant scope for improvement. NHS England and NHS Improvement are developing a service specification for an integrated community rehabilitation service in order to reduce variation in the provision of stroke rehabilitation across England.Stroke rehabilitation pilot schemes from 2020 to 2022 will develop a best practice model for high intensity rehabilitation, to be rolled out nationally. Both the specification and the pilot schemes will incorporate learning and innovation within community stroke teams as a response to COVID-19, including virtual rehabilitation.

Parkinson's Disease: Coronavirus

baroness gale: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to include people with Parkinson's disease on the list of those clinically extremely vulnerable to COVID-19.

lord bethell: Expert doctors in England have identified specific medical conditions that, based on what we knew about the virus so far, place someone at greatest risk of severe illness from COVID-19. These were signed off by the United Kingdom Senior Clinicians Group, including the four UK Chief Medical Officers and clinical leadership at NHS England and NHS Improvement, NHS Digital and Public Health England. The list of conditions is kept under review and there are no plans at present to add Parkinson's disease to it. General practitioners and hospital specialists are able to add individual people with Parkinson’s disease onto the shielded patients list on a case by case basis if it is their clinical judgement that the person is clinically extremely vulnerable.

PestFix: Protective Clothing

lord strasburger: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the reported award of a £108 million contract for personal protective equipment to PestFix, where and when the contract was advertised for tender; whether the contract was awarded under Regulation 32(2)c of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/102) which covers Direct Award due to reasons of extreme urgency; if so, how the Direct Award met the requirement under Regulation 32(2)(c) that the events were unforeseeable, given the contract was awarded on 10 April and the UK had reportedly been warned about a shortage of PPE supplies at a meeting with the World Health Organisation on 4 February; why a 12-month contract was awarded; whether they have supported PestFix’s cashflow, and if so, by how much; and why the contract has not yet been published.

lord bethell: The award of this contract is the subject of a Judicial Review which has been brought against the Department. The Department is taking legal advice and considering its response. In these circumstances it would inappropriate to respond to the issues and points raised in this question as this might prejudice the Department’s legal position.

Food: Hygiene

lord rooker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of local authority food hygiene inspections that have been carried out over the last (1) 12 months, (2) five years, and (3) 10 years.

lord bethell: Data for 2019/20, the most recent reporting period, is not yet available. Data for 2010/11 to 2018/19 in provided in the following table. Interventions include hygiene inspections and audits, verification and surveillance, sampling visits, advice and education and intelligence gathering. The total number of interventions for the period 2015/16 to 2018/19 and for the period 2010/11 to 2018/19 are also shown. Local authority food hygiene and other interventions - 2010/11 to 2018/19YearEnglandNorthern IrelandWalesScotlandUnited Kingdom total2018/19305,48314,07625,18238,753383,4942017/18306,41916,03727,89241,715392,0632016/17306,64619,42524,62743,494394,1922015/16318,46116,32525,20344,562404,5512014/15314,29213,354*28,80246,027402,4752013/14319,07219,68130,68941,635411,0772012/13324,39418,20428,82243,879415,2992011/12327,67719,98930,13945,001422,8062010/11331,91521,15031,18747,600431,8522015/16 to 2018/191,237,00965,863102,904168,5241,574,3002010/11 to 2018/192,854,359144,887252,543392,6663,657,809Note:* Based on 9 months data for Northern Ireland.

Genito-urinary Medicine: Equality

lord black of brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure equitable access to sexual health services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

lord bethell: Sexual and reproductive health services are open during the COVID-19 pandemic though some are temporarily reducing their face-to-face appointments and may only be able to see emergency or urgent cases in person. The Department and Public Health England (PHE) are working with local commissioners, the National Health Service and professional bodies including the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, to discuss emerging issues on sexual and reproductive services, including contraception, during the COVID-19 pandemic.PHE is also establishing a national framework for online sexual and reproductive health services that local areas can choose to commission for their residents. Information for the public on how to access contraception, emergency contraception, abortion, sexually transmitted infections, HIV and sexual assault during COVID-19 is online at the Sexwise and the NHS websites. This includes links to other organisations providing information and support.

Disability: Coronavirus

baroness campbell of surbiton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) related deaths by disability status, England and Wales: 2 March to 15 May 2020,published by the Office for National Statistics on 19 June, what plans they have to hold an inquiry to determine (1) the reasons for the deaths of a large number of disabled people during the COVID-19 pandemic, and (2) the lessons which might be learned for the future.

lord bethell: We know that many people with long-standing, limiting illnesses or health conditions are at higher risk of poorer outcomes from COVID-19.We continue to review all available evidence regarding the impact of COVID-19 for disabled people and we are commissioning new research to better understand the specific impacts. This evidence will inform policy development going forwards.The Government continues to be in the critical phase of responding to COVID-19. There will be opportunities in the future to look back, analyse and reflect on all aspects of COVID-19. And as the Prime Minister has said, this will include an independent inquiry at the appropriate time.

Syringes

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the increased provision of low dead space needles in needle and syringe exchanges in England.

lord bethell: Local authorities are responsible for assessing local needs and commissioning drug prevention, treatment and harm reduction services to meet these needs. This includes providing needle and syringe programmes in their areas.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends that local areas commission services which offer and encourage the use of low dead-space needles and syringes. The guidance on Needle and syringe programmes is attached.Public Health England supports local authorities in their work of needs assessment and commissioning services by providing advice, guidance and data.



Needle and syringe programmes
(PDF Document, 224.08 KB)

Obesity: Children

lord brooke of alverthorpe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to convene a meeting with the Members of Parliament who represent the constituencies with the highest levels of child obesity to considerthe Government's proposals for reducing obesity.

lord bethell: Ministers have regular conversations with hon. Members on measures to reduce obesity.

Malnutrition: Children

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how manychildren in England were admitted to hospital with malnutritionin the first six months of 2020.

lord bethell: The information is not available in the format requested.

Ovarian Cancer: Coronavirus

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Target Ovarian CancerVoices of women with ovarian cancer: the coronavirus pandemic and its impact, published on 13 July; and what steps they are taking to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the diagnosis and treatment of, and support for, women with ovarian cancer.

lord bethell: No assessment has been made.On 8 June 2020, the National Cancer Director and the National Clinical Director for Cancer issued a further letter of guidance to National Health Service cancer services on Second phase of NHS response to COVID-19 for cancer services. The letter notes that the work for local systems and Cancer Alliances to identify ring-fenced diagnostic and surgical capacity for cancer should now be well advanced, so that referrals, diagnostics and treatment can be brought back to pre-pandemic levels at the earliest opportunity to minimise potential harm, and to reduce the scale of the post-pandemic surge in demand. The new guidance is based on three key principles: capacity, fairness and confidence. Cancer Alliances should work with their regional teams to provide such services.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

baroness mcdonagh: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessmentthey have made of the implications for their policies of the review by Professor Philip Calder of the University of Southampton Nutrition, immunity and COVID-19, published on 20 May in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health.

lord bethell: Public Health England (PHE) is aware of the paper by Professor Calder. The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) considered the paper as part of a recent scoping exercise on nutrition and immunity. Interim conclusions of the committee were that there is currently a lack of robust evidence to suggest that specific nutrients or nutritional supplements can reduce the risk or severity of COVID-19. SACN and PHE will keep this topic under review.

Health and Social Services: Protective Clothing

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the quality of (1) masks, and (2) respirators, distributed to workers in health and social care settings since March from the stockpile established under the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness programme.

lord bethell: NHS Supply Chain and Public Health England have worked with manufacturers and/or independent testing houses to quality test masks and respirators held in the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Programme before issuing them to health and social care settings or to extend their shelf life.

NHS: Pay

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of France's decision to allocateeight billion euros for a pay increase for healthcare workers who have worked during the COVID-19 pandemic; whether they plan to do the same; and if not, why not.

lord bethell: This Government has already invested the largest cash settlement in the National Health Service’s history by backing the NHS Funding Act 2020 as well as clearing billions of pounds worth of NHS debt for NHS trusts, and the Government is committed to ensuring the NHS will continue to receive whatever it needs to respond to COVID-19.Over one million NHS staff are already benefitting from multi-year pay and contract reform deals which have seen the starting pay for a nurse rise by over 12% and the lowest paid in the NHS increase by over 16%.On 21 July, the Government announced that it had accepted in full the recommendation of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration for a 2.8% pay rise, back dated to April 2020 for consultants, specialty doctors, salaried general practitioners and dentists.For 2020/21 we expect to rely on the independent Pay Review Bodies. The Review Body process is the established independent mechanism for pay recommendations for public sector workforces. The NHS Pay Review Body will return to making pay recommendations for NHS staff within its remit group in 2021 and the Government will carefully consider these recommendations when we receive them.

Department for International Development

CDC: Tax Havens

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to prohibit CDC Group from investing in companies based in tax havens or linked to companies based in tax havens.

baroness sugg: There is no internationally recognised definition of a “tax haven.” CDC respects the tax policies of governments and supports their ability to tax. Whilst the development of domestic tax policy is the responsibility of governments, CDC requires its investee companies to approach tax is a responsible manner. CDC requires that: investee companies should be compliant, should not engage in base erosion and profit shifting, and should not engage in egregious tax planning.Wherever possible, CDC invests directly into the country in which an investee company is located. If CDC invests through an intermediate country, it does so only if the country is compliant with international tax transparency standards as monitored by the OECD’s Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Tax information.CDC’s policy on the payment of taxes and the use of offshore financial centres is available on CDCs website. This policy has been agreed with DFID and is reviewed annually.

Developing Countries: Health Services

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of progress towards the Every Woman Every Child goals.

baroness sugg: The UK government welcomes the Independent Accountability Panel’s recently published report. The report highlights that global progress towards the Every Woman Every Child 2030 targets were already lagging by around 20%, and now with the current COVID-19 pandemic are likely to slip further, with significant impacts for pregnant women, children and adolescents.The UK Government is committed to work with others to end preventable deaths of mothers, newborns and children by 2030. We are working to ensure essential health services continue despite the challenges of the pandemic. Our approach covers sexual and reproductive health and rights, maternal and new-born health, nutrition, and water, sanitation and hygiene services, all of which can help prevent mothers, new-borns and children dying unnecessarily.We are also leading internationally: the UK hosted the Global Vaccine Summit on 4 June and raised $8.8 billion for GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance’s, next five years (2021-2025) of work, including the UK’s pledge of £1.65 billion. Using these vital funds, GAVI will immunise a further 300 million children and save up to 8 million lives against vaccine preventable diseases.

Department for Education

Hearing Impairment: Coronavirus

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they have given to deaf children and young people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans are in place to ensure that deaf children and young peoplecan catch-up on missed schoolingduring the COVID-19 pandemic.

baroness berridge: During the COVID-19 outbreak, the department published guidance on online education resources for home learning, including support for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), which are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-online-education-resources.To support the hard work of schools in delivering remote education, in April, the Oak National Academy was launched. 40 teachers from leading schools across England formed this brand-new enterprise which provides 180 video lessons each week, across a broad range of subjects from maths to art to languages, for every year group from Reception through to year 10. Oak also launched a specialist curriculum for children and young people with SEND on 4 May, available here: https://classroom.thenational.academy/specialist#subjects.The government has announced £1 billion of funding to support children and young people to catch up on missed schooling. This is made up of £650 million to be shared across all state-funded mainstream schools, special schools, and alternative provision over the 2020-21 academic year, and a National Tutoring Programme, worth £350 million to provide additional, targeted support for disadvantaged children and young people.The universal £650 million catch-up premium funding recognises that all pupils, irrespective of their background or location, have lost time in education. Whilst school leaders will decide how it is used, the intention is that this money will be spent on the most effective interventions.On Monday 20 July, we announced more details about how the funding will be distributed to schools. This confirmed that a primary school of 200 pupils will receive £16,000 while a secondary school of 1,000 pupils will receive £80,000. Special schools, alternative provision and hospital schools will be funded at 3 times the rate of mainstream schools for the 2020-21 academic year.All schools should use their catch-up premium funding as a single total from which to prioritise support for all pupils, including children with SEND or children who have education, health and care plans, according to their need.This year, we are also providing £780 million of additional high needs funding across England for children with the most complex SEND. We are providing a further £730 million in 2021-22, which will bring the total high needs budget to over £8 billion. This is in addition to the catch-up premium funding.

Equal Pay

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the research from University College London, published on 20 July, which suggests that teenage boys have more ambitious aims regarding higher education which contributes towards the gender pay gap.

lord parkinson of whitley bay: The government is committed to transforming the lives of children and young people so that they can go as far as their hard work and talent will take them, regardless of their background or where they live. Nowhere is this more important than in how our young people are educated and prepared for a successful future. This is why the government has set out an ambitious agenda and made record investments in opportunities for all young people in this country.The government wants to ensure that all post-16 students can make an informed choice between high-quality options that support progression, whatever their attainment or aspirations. This includes access to higher education so that university places are available to those who are qualified by ability and attainment to pursue them and who wish to do so, alongside other high-quality options such as further education and apprenticeships. Through the Careers Strategy, we have laid out foundations which aim to develop children’s ambitions. Careers guidance is vital in helping to develop talent and opportunities so that people have the skills that we need and that employers require.In 2017, we introduced regulations requiring large employers to publish the differences in average salaries and bonuses for men and women. The national gender pay gap is at a record low of 17.3% - down from 17.8% in 2018. The full-time gender gap is at a near record low of 8.9%.We continue to encourage employers to take action to provide equal opportunities for men and women in the workplace but also recognise that employers are facing unprecedented uncertainty and pressure due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Students: Loans

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether having (1) settled status, or (2) pre-settled status, is a sufficient qualification for an application for a student loan; and if not, why not.

lord parkinson of whitley bay: We have agreed with the European Union (EU) that current EU principles of equal treatment will continue to apply for those people covered by the citizens’ rights provisions in the Withdrawal Agreement. This means that EU nationals resident in the UK before the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020 will be eligible for support on a similar basis to domestic students.EU nationals with settled status or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme must meet the relevant residency requirements when they start their course in order to access home fee status and student financial support.Other European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the EEA European Free Trade Association Separation Agreement or Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement respectively, and meeting the relevant residency requirements, will continue to have access to student finance on the same basis as now.

Overseas Students: Coronavirus

lord allen of kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of COVID-19 on the number of international students wishing to study at UK universities; and what steps they will take to counter the effects of a long-term reduction in international student numbers.

lord parkinson of whitley bay: The government recognises that the COVID-19 outbreak will have an unparalleled impact on all elements of the global and UK economy. The higher education sector, including student recruitment, is no exception. We have been working closely with the sector to monitor possible impacts of COVID-19 on international student numbers, including restrictions on travel.We have been clear that our world-leading universities, which thrive on being global institutions, will always be open to international students. Engaging closely with other government departments and the higher education sector, the Department for Education is working to reassure current and prospective international students that UK higher education is ‘open for business’ and remains world-class, and that the UK is a safe and welcoming place to study. This engagement includes continued work with Study UK (the government’s international student recruitment campaign, led by the British Council), support for the sector-led #WeAreTogether campaign, and a package of communications targeted directly at international students, making clear our world-leading offer.My hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Universities, wrote an open letter to current international students in April, setting out flexibilities that HM Government and higher education providers were introducing to ensure that international students could continue or resume their studies. With her counterparts in Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, she also wrote on 22 June to prospective international students to outline the support and guidance available to those considering studying in the UK from this autumn. This letter reiterates a number of flexibilities that the government has already announced for international students. These include allowing for the switching of visa categories within the UK, confirmation that distance/blended learning will be permitted for the 2020/21 academic year (provided that international students’ sponsors intend to move to face-to-face learning as soon as circumstances allow) and steps further to promote the new graduate route, which will be introduced from summer 2021.The graduate route will be simple and light-touch: it will permit graduates at undergraduate or Masters level to remain in the UK for 2 years and PhD graduates to remain in the UK for 3 years after they have finished their studies in order to work or look for work at any skill level. This represents a significant increase in the generosity of our offer to international students and will help ensure the UK higher education sector remains competitive internationally. On 16 June, the government also confirmed that international students present in the UK before 6 April 2021 will be eligible for the graduate route if they meet the other requirements of the route when it is introduced.My hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Universities, also announced that Sir Steve Smith would act as the UK’s new International Education Champion. He will assist with opening up export growth opportunities for the whole UK education sector, which will include attracting international students to UK universities. In addition, our review of the International Education Strategy this autumn will respond to the challenges posed by COVID-19 across all education settings.

Ministry of Justice

Marriage: Humanism

baroness blackstone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what reforms to marriage law they are currently working on; whether they plan to bring forward proposals for legal recognition of humanist marriages; and if not, why not.

lord keen of elie: The Government announced in June 2019 that the Law Commission will conduct a fundamental review of the law on how and where people can legally marry in England and Wales. As part of that review, the Government invited the Law Commission to make recommendations about how marriage by humanist and other non-religious belief organisations could be incorporated into a revised or new scheme for all marriages that is simple, fair and consistent. The Government looks forward to publication of the Law Commission’s consultation paper in September and, following the final report, will decide on provision on the basis of the Law Commission's recommendations.Separately, the Government continues to explore both limited reform and non-legislative options relating to religious weddings, as well as to explore interim reform of the law governing approved premises for marriages and civil partnerships.

Marriage

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government in which circumstances marriages in England and Wales are legally recognised by virtue of (1) the building in which the marriage takes place, (2) the registrar or officiant conducting the ceremony, and (3) the religion of the marriage.

lord keen of elie: In general terms, the law requires couples to give due notice of the marriage and to marry in the place specified when they gave notice and in the presence of certain people. Marriages are not automatically valid because they involve a certain building, person or religion: on the contrary, they are capable of legal recognition because they follow a route set out in statute. The statute law also sets out circumstances in which a marriage will be void.As part of its review of the law on how and where couples may marry in England and Wales, the Law Commission will make recommendations regarding what the consequences of failing to comply with all or some of the requirements for a valid marriage should be. The Government looks forward to publication of its consultation paper in September.

Criminal Proceedings: Ethnic Groups

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Keen of Elie on 15 July (HL Deb, cols 1659–61), how the situation of Black and other minority ethnic defendants, including those from Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities, will be taken into account in (1) the membership, and (2) the terms of reference, of the Royal Commission on criminal justice.

lord keen of elie: The Government is committed to a justice system that is fair, open and accessible to all.In defining the terms of reference and membership of the Royal Commission, we are taking into account the need for the Commission to understand effectively the experiences of all those that engage with the criminal justice system. This will of course need to include taking account issues of race and the experiences of Black and other minority ethnic people, including those from Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities.Further details will be announced in due course.

Prison and Probation Service: Finance

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total budget allocated to the HM Prisons and Probation Service Payment Plus scheme for the current financial year.

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the budget allocated to the HM Prisons and Probation Service Payment Plus scheme has been spent so far in the current financial year.

lord keen of elie: Payment Plus is funded through Her Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service’s staff pay budget from savings arising from any staff vacancies, which are then re-invested by each prison to fund the Payment Plus (PP) needed to cover operational staff vacancies.Prison governors have always had the authority to use PP to allow for additional staff time to cover vacancies. They are given an annual budget for staff costs based on agreed staffing levels and are expected to manage PP within this.In the first quarter of this financial year, the total spend on PP was £20.4m, which includes additional overtime cover in response to the impact of COVID-19.At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a high risk of increased staff absence and to mitigate this, staff were asked to volunteer for additional PP hours in advance of need. Since the start of the scheme in mid-March, to end June, about 60% of the total extra PP hours volunteers had committed to work were used and the remainder are being used as prisons move into recovery.

Terrorism: Prison Sentences

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of additional prison sentences likely to be imposedif the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill is passed in its present form; and how many longer sentences are likely to be imposed as a result.

lord keen of elie: We conducted and published an impact analysis for the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill, which is based on historical volumes of convictions and assumes that trends in sentencing remain stable. The Bill will not increase the overall number of sentences, but will increase sentence lengths for terrorist offenders. We assess that this will result in increased sentence lengths resulting in a maximum of 50 additional offenders in prison at any given time.

Courts: Coronavirus

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the present backlog of cases awaiting trial in (1) the Crown Court, and (2) the Magistrates' Court.

lord keen of elie: The table below provides the information requested on the current number of outstanding cases awaiting trial in (1) the Crown Court, and (2) the Magistrates’ Courts. These data are taken from the national statistics on the level of outstanding work in the criminal courts for the first quarter of 2020 which were published on 26 June 2020 and are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-court-statistics. The data for the second quarter will be published in September 2020. Outstanding cases awaiting trial in the Magistrates’ and Crown Court as at 31 March 2020Magistrates’ Court1277,459Crown Court231,686 Notes:1The magistrates’ court figure represents all those cases outstanding that are categorised as for trial (Indictable-only and Triable-either-way) and not just those awaiting a trial hearing. For example, it will include cases where defendants plead guilty and not guilty, and those where a warrant has been issued2 Though the figures for both Magistrates’ and Crown Court includes for trial cases (Triable-either-way and Indictable Only) which are outstanding for trial we are unable to say at what stage of the court process these are, for example, this may include cases where a trial has started but has not concluded.

Solicitors: Video Conferencing

lord wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average delay in terms of weeks before solicitors are able to consult their clients in prison via video link.

lord keen of elie: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Prisons: Coronavirus

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their announcement on 24 March that 900 secure phone handsets were to be provided to prisons to support family contact during the COVID-19 pandemic, how many minutes prisoners have spent on calls to date (1) in total, and (2) in each prison in which such phones have been allocated.

lord keen of elie: In recognition of the importance of maintaining family ties, since 24 March the Government has rolled out 1297 secure mobile phones across the prison estate in England and Wales. This is in addition to existing wing phones and in-cell telephones. As of the 21 July 2020, 153,918 minutes of calls have taken place from secure mobile PIN phones since 2nd April when this service was deployed.We do not routinely record the number of calls that take place over long periods of time, however our most recent data shows that on 21 July, 2803 calls took place across all mobile phones. This equates to 14,783 minutes across the estate. For comparison, 222,889 minutes of calls took place across the non-mobile based PIN network. There has been a 52% increase in calls across pin phone calls from the average call number in February, we do not currently have the equivalent data for just mobile phones.We do not record figures for minutes that prisoners have spent on calls by prison across the time period mentioned.. We have access to daily call figures across the entire secure mobile network and also individual prison figures on a given day. We are working with our supplier to identify whether we can report on cumulative figures for individual prisons.

Prisoners' Release: Older People

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government by how much the prison population of England and Wales would decrease if prisoners (1) over 65 years old, (2) over 70 years old, and (3) over 75 years old, were released.

lord keen of elie: Based on prison population data as at 30 June 2020, the prison population of England and Wales includes (1) 2,660 prisoners over 65 years old, (2) of whom 1,497 prisoners are over 70 years, and (3) 671 prisoners are over 75 years old.

Department for International Trade

Expert Trade Advisory Groups: Membership

lord foster of bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 31 March (HL2935), when they will publish the membership of each of the 17 Expert Trade Advisory Groups; and why themembership has not been published to date.

lord foster of bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many meetings there have been of each of the 17 Expert Trade Advisory Groups, either in person or virtually; on what dates these meetings were held; and what plans there are for further meetings of each group.

lord grimstone of boscobel: Our Expert Trade Advisory Groups (ETAGs) have met 84 times to date. The table below shows how many meetings there have been for each of the 17 ETAGs and the dates on which they were held.ETAG nameTotal number of meetings held to date Date of each meeting held Agri-food904/07/2019, 21/08/2019, 25/09/2019, 24/10/2019, 14/01/2020, 12/02/2020, 05/03/2020, 27/05/2020, 06/07/2020Automotive813/07/2019, 14/08/2019, 26/09/2019, 21/10/2019, 30/01/2020, 12/02/2020, 27/05/2020, 20/07/2020Chemicals222/08/2019, 10/02/2020Creative314/01/2020, 14/02/2020, 03/06/2020Continuity914/08/2019, 11/09/2019, 09/10/2019, 30/10/2019, 17/12/2019, 24/01/2020, 12/02/2020, 29/04/2020, 08/07/2020Customs308/07/2019, 14/02/2020, 21/07/2020Digital404.11.2019, 09/01/2020, 12/02/2020, 01/06/2020Financial Services716/09/2019, 28/10/2019, 10/01/2020, 31/01/2020, 02/03/2020, 29/05/2020, 03/07/2020IP430/09/2019, 20/01/2020, 08/06/2020, 21/07/2020Investment305/09/2019, 24/01/2020, 05/06/2020Life Sciences427/09/2019, 05/02/2020, 04/06/2020, 09/07/2020PBS403/09/2019, 28/01/2020, 28/04/2020, 03/06/2020Procurement417/02/2020, 20/03/2020, 12/06/2020, 02/07/2020SMEs316/08/2019, 13/02/2020, 15/05/2020Sustainability518/09/2018, 11/12/2018, 18/06/2019, 20/02/2020, 06/07/2020TfD702/02/2018, 24/10/2018, 21/03/2019, 15/07/2019, 09/10/2019, 28/02/2020, 19/05/2020Transport Services516/09/2019, 28/01/2020, 27/01/2020, 02/06/2020, 12/06/2020 Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, HMG’s publication priorities shifted and the planned publication of ETAG membership was delayed in the Spring. The Department is now undertaking a review of the ETAGs, the outcome of which will be communicated in due course.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Council Tax: Arrears

baroness eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proportion of Council Tax warrants paid at compliance stage, without enforcement visits taking place; and what assessment they have made of the adjusting of inflation in providing an economic incentive for resolving cases at compliance stage.

lord greenhalgh: The Government does not routinely collect data on the proportion of council tax arrears paid at compliance stage, without enforcement visits taking place. The Government is considering the operation of the compliance stage, including for council tax, as part of its ongoing review of the Taking Control of Goods regulations and is due to publish its findings in due course. The fees that may be charged by enforcement agents are set down in regulations. The question of whether to increase the fees in line with inflation is kept under review.

Housing: Older People

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the fairness of contract terms associated with retirement villages, particularly in respect of assignment fees or event fees that are levied when the property is sold after the owner passes away or moves into long-term care.

lord greenhalgh: In 2017, the Law Commission published a report of their review of event fees on behalf of this Department. This followed concerns raised by the Competition and Markets Authority about the fairness of some retirement property leases that have resulted in leaseholders paying an event fee of between 0.25% and 30% of the sale price of the property when selling or sub-letting. Concerns were also raised about the lack of transparency of event fees for older people and their families when purchasing a leasehold retirement property. The Law Commission made a number of recommendations in its report, which can be downloaded (attached) at http://www.lawcom.gov.uk/project/event-fees-in-retirement-properties.The Government responded to the Law Commission in March 2019 and agreed to implement the majority of the recommendations. The Government is further considering two recommendations, on succession rights and a database of leasehold retirement properties with event fees.



Event fees in retirement properties
(PDF Document, 100.45 KB)

Ministry of Defence

Unmanned Air Vehicles

baroness stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent progress they have made on the Zephyr High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite programme, following the reported mishaps in 2019.

baroness goldie: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is sponsoring a High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) Operational Concept Demonstrator (OCD) utilising the Airbus Defence and Space (ADS) Zephyr platform to explore the utility of this cutting edge and novel technology. There are always setbacks when you push the boundaries of technology to explore future concepts. The unfortunate incidents in 2019 led to investigations being carried out by the relevant authorities and ADS have taken the findings and implemented improvements. ADS planned to demonstrate these improvements during the HAPS OCD this summer, but trials have been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The MOD continue to work with Airbus to progress the OCD and to identify further opportunities for demonstration in order to fully explore the utility of HAPS.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Meat and Poultry: Imports

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that meatand poultry imported from overseas has been raised in compliance with UK guidelines on the use of antibiotics in farming; whattests are carried out on imported meatand poultry; and whether the resultsof such tests are published.

lord gardiner of kimble: Imported products of animal origin are monitored based on the nature of the products and the risk they represent, as required by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2130, which is part of EU retained law.  The UK Government is committed to working with global partners to improve standards on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), for example through participation in the Codex Alimentarius AMR Task Force revision of the “Code of Practice to Minimize and Contain Foodborne Antimicrobial Resistance”, as well as by promoting global ‘one health’ action on AMR through our commitments under the UK National Action Plan for AMR 2019-24.

Home Office

China: British National (Overseas)

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take, when determining the eligibility of British National (Overseas) passport holders to settle in the UK, to ascertain whether the applicants (1) have supported the Chinese Communist Party in the past, and (2) are committed to democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Secretary was pleased to recently announce details of the new immigration route for Hong Kong British National (Overseas) citizens, which can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hong-kong-bno-visa-policy-statementThe eligibility requirements are set out in the policy statement.

Asylum: Housing

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking in response to the £3.1 million in service credits charged to Mears Group between September 2019 and January 2020 for poor performance in its contract to provide accommodation to asylum seekers.

baroness williams of trafford: We expect the highest standards from our providers and accommodation provided must be safe, habitable, fit for purpose and it is required to comply with the Decent Homes Standard in addition to standards outlined in relevant national or local housing legislation.The AASC contracts have robust performance management system to which Providers are expected to deliver; where performance falls short of the required standard for each of the individual KPIs the failures are recorded and can result in the award of Points; which can result in a Service Credits being applied.Mears performance is monitored closely with dedicated staff in each contract area who are in contact with the Provider on a daily basis. This is supplemented by a formal governance process which includes quarterly Strategic Review Management Boards and monthly Contract Management Groups. Service credits and subsequent improvement plans are discussed and monitored as part of this process.

Treasury

Beer: Excise Duties

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that the proposed changes to the Small Brewers’ Relief will not increase the tax burden for brewers who produce between 2,100 hectolitres and 5,000 hectolitres a year.

lord agnew of oulton: The Treasury has been reviewing the Small Brewers Relief (SBR) scheme since 2018. The SBR scheme in part aims to provide smaller brewers support with their higher production costs. Small brewers receive a 50% reduction from their beer duty bills, but currently once brewers produce more than 5,000 hectolitres this is rapidly withdrawn.Based on evidence provided by a survey of brewers conducted in 2019, which received over 300 responses, and data provided by the Society of Independent Brewers and other brewing groups, the Treasury has concluded that production costs for brewers in the range of 2,100-5,000 hectolitres are not significantly different for those in the 5-10,000 hectolitres range.Accordingly, the Treasury considers that the radically different tax treatment both groups currently face is not appropriate. It disincentivises growth and distorts business decisions.Therefore, the Treasury has concluded that both groups of brewers should be brought in scope of the scheme’s taper. The Treasury will discontinue the “cliff edge” design of the current taper in favour of a new one, which tapers relief more smoothly over a broader range of production.The details of these proposals are subject to further consultation, and the final shape of these reforms has not yet been determined. The Treasury expects that more than 80% of all brewers will be unaffected by these changes, and brewers who are affected will benefit from the improved economics of the scheme. Final changes will not take effect until at least 31 December 2021.

VAT

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Agnew of Oulton on 20 May (HL4033),what has been the net income to HM Treasury from VAT in eachmonth since March.

lord agnew of oulton: HM Revenue & Customs publish monthly net VAT receipts within the National Statistics release “HMRC tax receipts and National Insurance contributions for the UK”. Since March 2020, HM Revenue & Customs have received the following net VAT monthly amounts: March 2020: £2,362 millionApril 2020: -£897 millionMay 2020: -£635 millionJune 2020: £1,104 million Net VAT receipts during this period have been affected by the policy measure providing a deferral of VAT payments. This measure allowed UK VAT registered traders to defer VAT payments between 20 March 2020 and 30 June 2020, up until 31 March 2021.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Peers: Allowances

lord marlesford: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker how much has been paid in financial support, excluding travel costs, to members of the House of Lords in each of the last 12 months.

lord mcfall of alcluith: The total amount of Daily Allowance paid to Members of the House of Lords in relation to each of the last 12 months was as follows; Month Amount  £000s July 2019 2,122 August 2019 - September 2019 994 October 2019 2,219 November 2019 252 December 2019 241 January 2020 2,134 February 2020 1,642 March 2020 1,382 April 2020 79 May 2020 223 June 2020 624Information as at 31 July 2020